BSEC-URTA Regional Projects Confirmed to be Supported by IRU

The 32nd
Meeting of the BSEC-URTA General Assembly was held in Tirana International
Hotel (Tirana, Albania) 13 October 2017. The meeting was honoured by the
participation of the Secretary General of BSEC Organization, His Excellency Ambassador
Michael B. Christides, IRU Secretary General Mr. Umberto de Pretto and
Secretary of the Legal and Political Affairs Committee of PABSEC Mrs. Natia
Gaprindashvili.

Among the
Decisions of the General Assembly on its 32nd meeting are:

Endorsement of
the Conclusions of the IRU/BSEC-URTA/BSEC Round Table on work priorities under
the Ukrainian Chairmanship of the BSEC Organization – Odessa on 6 September
2017. Welcomed the BSEC Secretary General informing about the BSEC Project
Management Facility and the IRU Secretary General confirming the IRU interest
to support regional e-TIR projects, which is among the adopted priorities in
Odessa.

Taking note
of the report of the 5th Meeting of the ad hoc Working Party on Insurance held
in Istanbul on 28 August 2017 as presented by the Chairperson Ms. Natalia
Polunina. Requested the Working Party to finalise the required set of legal
documents allowing implementation of the insurance product including an
appropriate policy pricing scheme (tariff), and to continue establishing the
necessary Service Network by also involving the URVEST company as a potential
main partner, which could provide required services. The General Assembly approved
that the next meeting of the Working Party should take place in Istanbul in the
first half of December 2017, which should target developing a concrete pilot
project on CMR insurance in the BSEC region with the participation of the
interested parties. Instructed the Working Party to submit the result of its
work to the next meeting of the Management Council in January 2018.

Taking
note and approval of the Activity Report on BSEC-URTA Priorities for 2017 and
requested the Management Council to identify BSEC-URTA Priorities for 2018 at
the outset of the new year by also taking into account possible feedback of the
Members and Observers in order to ensure such priorities will be very specific
and project oriented as possible.

Welcome
of the developing cooperation between BSEC-URTA and the Istanbul Arbitration
Center (ISTAC), and approved the draft Memorandum
of Understanding between ISTAC and BSEC-URTA and mandated the BSEC-URTA
Secretary General to sign the MoU at a date to be jointly agreed upon by the
parties.

The General
Assembly kindly respected the decision of the founding Secretary General of
BSEC-URTA in office Mr. Haydar Ozkan for stepping down in the end of his
current term of office and nominating his Deputy as his successor. Mr. Adrian
Albu was appointed as BSEC-URTA Secretary General for the term of office
2018-2021.

6-7 March 2018 IRU Delegation composed by Secretary General Mr. Umberto de Pretto, Manager TIR Digitalization Mr. Raphael Hirt, Head of TIR Department of TOBB and President of BSEC-URTA Ms. Aslı Gözütok, General Delegate and Secretary General of BSEC-URTA Mr. Adrian Albu held meetings in Ankara with His Excellency Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications of Republic of Turkey Ahmet Arslan and His Excellency Minister of Customs and Trade of Republic of Turkey Bülent Tüfenkçi.

Coordination Meeting between Institutions Represented in Specialized Groups in 2018 Black Sea Economic Cooperation Calendar was held on 22 February 2018 in Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara, Turkey.